We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.

LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional videoPlease use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

It's simple to make. We love chicken and dumplings and this is such a 'fun' and easy way to make the dumpling part.

Mix up a milk/flour mixture, with a couple other ingredients, and pour over the chicken/soup mixture...top that with broth & milk...and it makes dumplings!

This also has browned butter...OF WHICH I AM A HUGE FAN! (Kim made a mistake and overbrowned it, but it was the 'perfect' mistake!)

Go ahead...I dare you to try it soon. You can use mushroom soup, but I had chicken soup so that's what I used. You probably have all the ingredients you need on hand. I'm partial to recipes like this one!

Make it soon...and then you'll want to make it again soon. It's one of those 'Comfort Food' dishes!

Place butter in 9" X 13" baking dish and place in oven while it's preheating. Once butter is melted, watch for it to begin browning. (This isn't a necessary part, but really makes a big difference in end result.) You should be able to smell the delightful nutty smell from the butter, but be sure to watch it.

(Of course you can brown the butter on top of the stove if you prefer)

Once butter is browned, remove it from the oven, being careful as it may splatter.

Place the prepared chicken over the top of the butter.

In medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over the chicken, but do not stir.

In same bowl (scrape out the flour mixture first please), whisk together chicken broth and cream of 'whatever you're using' soup.

Pour that over top of casserole; do not stir.

Bake uncovered for 35 - 45 minutes. When done, the top will be beautifully browned and bubbly around the edges.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I am so honored & delighted to get to share Nancy from Skinny Kitchen with you today!

This will be the first of 2 guest posts she'll be sharing over the next few weeks.

I've made many of her tasty recipes. I love that she makes them 'skinny' (I especially love all her Copycat Starbucks drinks that are most often, half the calories!) AND....she includes Weight Watchers points!

Nancy and I have emailed each other many times, but it wasn't until recently that I realized what a BIG NAME gal she is! So proud of her accomplishments and that she was willing to come to a guest post for li'l ole me.

My son and gr'daughter are eating gluten free...it seems I know many others who are too, so I asked if she'd be willing to share this yummy GF cookie...

(Remember...this is just a sample of the goodness that Nancy shares at her blog, so please pop over there and sample more of her amazing creations!)

Take it away Nancy....

Nancy Fox is no stranger to the food industry. She founded Mrs. Beasley's, a gift-basket company featuring baskets full of decadent baked goods. It became the "hot" gift to give among the Hollywood community. Nancy later opened 2 low fat restaurants called Nancy’s Healthy Kitchen. Her line of reduced-fat cookies were featured on "Oprah's Favorites" gift show.

Continuing her passion for cooking and baking Nancy created a recipe website called

Skinny Kitchen. Each week she shares skinny recipes, cooking and kitchen tips, food finds and the healthy benefits of many recipes. There’s also nutritional facts and Weight Watchers POINTS on each recipe.

Using a tablespoon, scoop 1 level tablespoon for each cookie and add to pan. When scooped it creates a little blob of batter. You’ll need to squish each cookie together a bit. It does hold together once baked.

4. Place both trays in oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate trays and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Total bake time, 18-20 minutes. If you have batter left, bake remaining cookies.

5. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag. These cookies freeze great too!

Makes 50 cookies total

Healthy Benefits

Rolled oats are very good for you. There is 25 years of clinical proof to show the soluble fiber in rolled oats can help lower cholesterol, which has wonderful benefits for the heart

Dark chocolate has less sugar and the most health benefits. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate is heart healthy. Dark chocolate, not milk or white chocolate, is a potent antioxidant and can help lower blood pressure.

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.

LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional video Please use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

My Precious Daughter, Debbie Jo...the one who made me a first time mother,and my Favorite Daughter (OK, yes, she IS my only one=)

I continue to learn many things from Deb and thank God for all she means in my life. She is the one who insisted I begin blogging. And she's the 'tech support' when I need something done at my blog too! =) She's mommy to my 3 youngest and precious grandchildren and a very busy gal. She's the author of her own blog...Finding Grace & Glory in a messy life and continues to inspire me inmore ways than she'll ever know. I am always excited when she tries a challenging recipe....like some may feel this one is. It's all yours Deb Jo...

I have been blogging since 2006. I have always loved to read and write, and prefer to use purple ink and college ruled paper. I am a busy wife & mom, and work part-time at a pregnancy center, educating women about relationship choices. I write passionately about abortion, adoption, natural living, and growing in my relationship with Christ. I hate washing dishes and find myself on the "martha" side more than I would like. But I am finding Grace and Glory in a Messy Life and enjoy every cup of coffee I can get!Onto the recipe...

*There is NO baking powder in this recipe. It was included in the directions,but is NOT an ingredient. Sorry about that!!! Deb

Baking yeast bread is somewhat of a science. It actually requires accurate measurement, fresh ingredients, and reliable tools. Some people avoid yeast bread baking altogether because it seems harder than it has to be. Or maybe you are like me, and you simply don't have time (or energy) to make fresh bread on a regular basis.

My family loves bread and we also want to improve the food we eat, the quality of ingredients, and work on changing the foods we consume. After searching the net for something simple to try at home, I think I discovered the perfect recipe and kinda adapted it for my family!

It's Easy. It's Fast. And it's really delicious!

Quick & Easy Homemade White Bread

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (warm, not hot)

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast

2 Tbsp (lightly pressed) brown sugar

2 3/4 cup flour

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/4 cup oil

Instructions

Add yeast and brown sugar to warm water, stir, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the flour, oil, and salt in large mixing bowl. When yeast mixture is ready, stir into dry ingredients with a fork until it begins to form into a ball.

Dump the bowl contents onto a lightly floured surface and begin kneading it (push the heel of your hand into the dough, pull the upper edge towards you, give it a quarter turn, and then pull the upper edge towards you, push the heel of your hand into the dough and give it a quarter turn. REPEAT). Continue to knead the dough until soft and elastic (about 5 minutes).

In another bowl, spray with nonfat cooking spray and put ball of dough into greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with towel and set in warm place for 45 minutes (i warmed my oven, turned it off and let the dough rise inside with the oven light on).

Remove from oven, punch dough down and lightly knead for 1 minute. Spray a 9" loaf pan with nonfat cooking spray and shape dough into loaf. Plop into the pan and return to oven, covered with a towel, and allow to rise 30 minutes.

Take pan out of oven and set aside while you preheat the oven to 350. Place pan in oven and bake 35-40 minutes. Rub butter over the warm top after you pull it from the oven. Allow to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then cool on wire rack.

Notes

*I would encourage you to use COCONUT OIL in this recipe. Coconut oil gives this bread an amazingly soft texture - not fall apart in your hands soft, but soft like bread-store bread, and does NOT leave a coconutty flavor. I LOVE baking bread with coconut oil. I have used other oils with this, but coconut oil is by far the best!

*Feel free to substitute honey for the brown sugar, and use your favorite flour blends (whole wheat, white whole wheat, etc.) to the maximum flour measurement. I have only ever used a blend, not whole wheat alone, and it has had a lovely texture.

Baking a good loaf of yeast bread does not have to be complicated or require a whole day. There is something about feeling the warm dough becoming more pliable in your hands that is satisfying and there is nothing like that fresh-baked smell of bread to delight your family.Thanks Debber for sharing this yummy recipe....Linked to Weekend Potluck

Sunday, February 16, 2014

I've had the recipe for some time, just waiting for the perfect time to make them to share.

I am also soo in love with the name of this tasty dish...Pillows! =)(I added the Extraordinaire because they're soo delicious!)

It happened since we've been vacationing in Florida! Our friends loved them and wanted the recipe, so I decided to get it on the blog soon, so you can enjoy them too.

We were thrilled...to say the least...to be eating dinner outside just after they'd gotten 9" of snow back home in Ohio....

Was thrilled to find this variation of my Amazing Chicken Squares (that's in my first cookbook) at Mommy on Demand I adapted this recipe numerous ways, but I think the biggest change was using garlic butter crescent rolls instead of original. It added a perfect touch of garlic.Try these, you're sure to love them. And the sauce over the top after baking makes them extra wonderful. The 6 of us ate 14 of the 16 made in this recipe. M-M-More please! *-*

(hover over image to pin) CHICKEN PILLOWS 2 - 1/2 - 3 c. diced or shredded chicken breast(can boil, bake or use rotisserie chicken) 1 (8 ozs) pkg. (lite) cream cheese, softened 3 Tb. butter, melted, divided2 cans (8 count each) crescent rolls (we loved the garlic butter ones)fresh ground pepper to taste(we like garlic pepper - Watkins) 3/4 - 1 c. panko crumbs (could use crushed croutons or italian bread crumbs)Sauce:1 can cream of chicken soup, divided1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese(I used co-jack)1/4 c. Greek yogurt(or sour cream)up to 2 Tb. milk, depending on how thick you want the sauce Preheat oven to 350*. In large bowl, combine chicken with cream cheese, and 1 Tb. of melted butter. (I also added a heaping spoonful of cream of chicken soup to this mixture also...it's totally optional). I stir this by hand. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Open crescent rolls, pressing on the widest part of each to spread out before adding about 3 Tb. chicken on the wide side. Bring up sides around the chicken, then pull the long 'tail' of the roll over the top; pressing all seams together to seal. Place remaining melted butter in small dish and panko crumbs in another. Dip tops of rolls in melted butter, then into panko crumbs, then lay side by side in an ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish.

Bake about 13 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. While rolls are baking, heat remaining chicken soup along with shredded cheese in small saucepan. When warm, stir in Greek yogurt (or sour cream), along with milk until desired consistency is reach. Serve over top of baked 'pillows'. Linked to Meal Plan MondayWeekend Potluck

This is my very favorite holiday. May you enjoy a sweet day from beginning to end. I have never believed this special day was just for sweethearts. We all have someone beloved in our lives...Whether it's a parent or sibling, a cousin or friend - Take time to let someone know you love and care about them this holiday.

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.

LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional videoPlease use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

Blog Design Created By:

PP

We do not share personal information with third-parties. We store information we collect about your visit to this blog for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings.

If you purchase anything from The Better Baker, we do not collect personal information for any use other than for mailing products or resolving issues.

We are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without our permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.